Help me with my training split.

I have been doing a new training split the last 2 months, but I'm noticing more and more that I'm getting really tired and sore. This isn't a normal DOMS sore too it's like a very deep ack in the muscle.

Thats the routine I did last week, then I will switch out different exercises every week except for my big 3 and standing shoulder press. I stick to a range of about 12-8 depending on the exercise my big 3 I never go more then 8 reps though. I am currently following power lifting programs for my big 3.

I think my main issue is that I'm doing my b3 back to back at the beginning of my week and that's putting a lot of stress on my body. I was doing a four day routine a while ago but I find I can't push my hams as hard when I put them with quads, I'm just to tired by the end of quads. So that's why I went to 5 days. I'm going to cut out the upper chest day, that was my stupid bodybuilding mindset coming back. I'm trying to train for strength not aesthetics right now, because I would like to compete within the next 5 years.

These are my new ideas for training split.

Sun
Chest 3 ex
Bis 2 ex
Core 1 ex

Mon
Back 4ex
Traps 1ex
Core 1ex
Grip 1ex

Tues
Hams 2ex
Calfs 1 ex
Core 1ex

Wen
Delts 3 ex
Tris 3ex
Core 1 ex

Thur
Quads 4ex
Core 1ex

Fri off
Sat off

Second idea

Sun
Chest 3 ex
Bis 2 ex
Core 1 ex

Mon
Back 4ex
Traps 1ex
Core 1ex
Grip 1ex

Tue off

Wen
Quads 4ex
Calfs 1ex
Core 1ex

Thur
Delts 3 ex
Tris 3ex
Core 1ex

Fri night
Hams 2ex
Core 1ex

Sat off

The chest and back days would be interchangeable I usually do back on Sundays cause its slower at my gym so not as many people to complain about the noise from dead lifting. I can't workout Friday mornings because I watch my kids while my wife is at work, and I go in to work early that day. Saturday is right out also cause its one of only two days me and my wife see each other. But I figured Friday night wouldn't be to bad to do hams it would be 20-30 min tops in and out.

So tell me what you guys think, my current goals are to increase strength. Maybe I should switch to a 3 day split, it's just very hard for me to give up my old mindset of bodybuilding style training.

Also check out Layne Norton's PHAT, which is a 5 day split. Just random ideas of what I like. We're all different. Just sharing ideas.

You're gonna drive yourself insane with all the different body parts. Think of things as a plane of movement: Horizontal pressing with rowing, vertical pressing with a vertical back movement. Deads are a leg exercise to me.

Also check out Layne Norton's PHAT, which is a 5 day split. Just random ideas of what I like. We're all different. Just sharing ideas.

You're gonna drive yourself insane with all the different body parts. Think of things as a plane of movement: Horizontal pressing with rowing, vertical pressing with a vertical back movement. Deads are a leg exercise to me.

See yeah, all of this is new to me. I have been reading up on nothing but bodybuilding style training for the last 11 years. For example how you do deads on a different day from back is completely foreign to me lol. But it does make sense.

Why do you do back, tris, bis 2 days a week? How many sets do you do of each ???

That is a pretty interesting routine it could definitely work for me but I would have to start Sundays.

I do Wendler's 5/3/1, which is more for pure strength but can work for hypertrophy purposes. The base of the template can still be applied though. Deadlifts don't really increase hypertrophy in the back. You're only using your back to stabilize the lift. Your legs are doing the majority of the work.

I do Wendler's 5/3/1, which is more for pure strength but can work for hypertrophy purposes. The base of the template can still be applied though. Deadlifts don't really increase hypertrophy in the back. You're only using your back to stabilize the lift. Your legs are doing the majority of the work.

PHAT will be more applicable to bodybuilding and might be more your taste. Ive gained plenty of size and strength doing a Lower/Upper/Lower/Upper split.

Well to be honest I don't really care about bodybuilding all that much anymore. Takes to much time and money. Your routine sounds pretty intriguing, can you recommend any literature, I'm taking the next three days off to recover so I would like to soak up as much info as I can while I'm out of the gym.

I looked up phat, not really sure if I like it, Number one I didn't see any days where you deadlift. Deads are my favorite lift can't take them away from me.

Phat or 5/3/1 could work for you. With you wanting to focus on strength but have a heavy bodybuilding mentality try the cube method. Its a powerlifting routine but is heavy on bodybuilding for all accessory work. Even has a dedicated bodybuilding day.

Phat or 5/3/1 could work for you. With you wanting to focus on strength but have a heavy bodybuilding mentality try the cube method. Its a powerlifting routine but is heavy on bodybuilding for all accessory work. Even has a dedicated bodybuilding day.

I am pretty much pulling the same wagon as the others.
If I add anything, it would be to put more focus, determination and attention into a small handful of exercises and getting as absolutely as strong as you can on a few of them (90% compounds)/(maybe the ones you are the best at). Remember that better does not mean more exercises or high tech splits, better means stronger/bigger and quality of the work. After you get a good foundation of your strengths and how you respond to the work and building up the capacity to do so, then you can branch out if you wish to get more technical.

Keys To Progress/McCallum
Brawn or Beyond Brawn/McRobert
Hardgainers Bible/Steiner
Starting Strength/Rippetoe/Kilgore
Strongest Shall Survive/Starr
Stuff written by Anthony Ditillo et al. in the Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban
They have good solid proven routines that deal mostly with compound exercises and just getting larger and stronger all over.

Other good books you could probably get used/cheap Keys To Progress/McCallum Brawn or Beyond Brawn/McRobert Hardgainers Bible/Steiner Starting Strength/Rippetoe/Kilgore Strongest Shall Survive/Starr Stuff written by Anthony Ditillo et al. in the Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban They have good solid proven routines that deal mostly with compound exercises and just getting larger and stronger all over.

Just want to give you guys an update, I purchased 5,3,1 a few days ago and bought the cube method yesterday. Haven't been able to put the cube method down, I really like Brandon Lilly's philosophy it coincides with my beliefs heavily. It's still going to take some time for my bodybuilding head to wrap around the training routines, but I'm really excited to get started. Thanks a lot for all the help guys.